What is CVD?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of illness in the United States and arguably one of the most preventable. Obesity, diabetes, inactivity, high blood pressure, poor nutrition, high cholesterol, and smoking, are some common causes of CVD, among others. Regular exercise, stress management, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol, limiting or quitting smoking, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels are ways in which you can prevent heart disease. Cardiovascular disease can be scary, but is something you can attempt to control.
What can I do about it?
Regular physical activity is one of the easiest ways you can help control and prevent CVD. If you are someone who never exercises, try starting by walking a few times a week. It doesn’t have to be for long, and you can start off slow and gradually increase from there. Start out with walking one- to- two times a week, then two- to- three times a week, three- to- four, and so on.
A good goal to set for yourself would be to work out thirty minutes a day for at least five days a week of low– to– moderate intensity exercise. This could include walking, biking, swimming, etc. If you are someone who does not normally get exercise, walking daily can be a great place to start and can have a huge impact on your quality of life and health.
If you currently walk daily, challenge yourself to increase the intensity of your exercise by either jogging or biking, or adding in strength training. Strength training can be extremely beneficial for cardiovascular health and overall health in general. Strength training has been shown in multiple different studies to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as many other diseases. If you want to start strength training but don’t know where to start, call the clinic today to set up a training session with one of our exercise specialists. If you have any questions about cardiovascular health, call the clinic today to speak with one of our doctors and we will get you on the path to better health!
-Monica Sjodin, Exercise Specialist